AuthorTopic: Just Published - Part 5 of Charles Cramer (Read 4355 times)

I keep learning more with each section of your videos with Charles. I used to think I was a good printer and knew how to finesse my images to make really fine prints but watching these vids will help me tremendously in my printing.

BTW, I love your 'Flower King' shot Kevin. Makes me smile every time I see it.

I find this type of video--highlighting the artistic process--to be extremely valuable. Far superior to videos that focus on a specific workflow for all images or show "Lightroom/Photoshop tips." More please.

I notice Cramer does not use luminosity masks. Some of what he is doing seems well suited for them, for example increasing the brightness of the waterfall. I am curious about his opinion on the use of luminosity masks.

I use two main types of paper. A cheaper one for making lots of proofs, which would be Moab Lasal Exhibition Lustre. And for my final prints, Canson (or Epson) Platine Fibre Rag. The Platine has a very neutral paper base, which matches white mount boards nicely. That's because it has a real paper base. The cheaper Lasal (made of plastic) has a bluish tint. If I'm printing a scene with lots of white tones (like a snowscene), then I'll start with the platine, as the more whiter the tones, the more the color of the paper base shows through.I'd love to fine a cheap paper that has a neutral paper base...

I use two main types of paper. A cheaper one for making lots of proofs, which would be Moab Lasal Exhibition Lustre. And for my final prints, Canson (or Epson) Platine Fibre Rag. The Platine has a very neutral paper base, which matches white mount boards nicely. That's because it has a real paper base. The cheaper Lasal (made of plastic) has a bluish tint. If I'm printing a scene with lots of white tones (like a snowscene), then I'll start with the platine, as the more whiter the tones, the more the color of the paper base shows through.I'd love to fine a cheap paper that has a neutral paper base...

Thanks Charlie!

Looks like I'm in good company, I also use Moab Exhibition Lustre for proofs and other non-critical prints. I recently started using what I believe is a similar but different paper to the Platine Fibre Rag, the Moab Juniper Baryta Rag. I have somewhat standardized on Moab papers as they are easily available locally for me and I'm getting great results from them with my Epson P800.

Again thanks for the information and the education series of videos, they have been very useful!

I have never used luminosity masks, because I've never felt the need. Let me explain.

My usual selection method is to do basically what Ansel Adams did in the darkroom. I loosely select an area and feather it. And then capture that selection in a curve. This seems to work 80% of the time. If I need to restrict the tones involved, I can lock down a part of the curve. If I want to dark tones to stay put, I put a point on the curve in that area. You don't want too many points, as you can inadvertently create a flat spot on the curve, which can look terrible.

My worry with luminosity masks is of what I call tonal "constipation", which is basically what a flat spot on a curve does. It crushes tones together. Let's say you're trying to lighten midtones in some rocks. If you do a strong lightening, then any brighter parts of the rocks that weren't in the luminosity mask won't get lighter. But the midtones you worked on will. And the demarcation between the selected and unselected parts my cause some crushing of tones.

I can see luminosity masks working, though, with subtle adjustments, not anything too extreme.

Thank you Charles, Kevin, and Chris for this fantastic series. The pace is wonderful and the videos have a friendly atmosphere to them. I'm learning a lot and am having a great time putting the new concepts and insights to good use.

What is so instructive about this series, Charlie, is what you do to the images, not necessarily how you do it. There are many ways to achieve the same effect in Photoshop and you’ve shown us some new techniques. But for me, its your sensitivity to what can be done to the images that makes these videos so useful and inspiring. Thank you!

I have never used luminosity masks, because I've never felt the need. Let me explain.

My usual selection method is to do basically what Ansel Adams did in the darkroom. I loosely select an area and feather it. And then capture that selection in a curve. This seems to work 80% of the time. If I need to restrict the tones involved, I can lock down a part of the curve. If I want to dark tones to stay put, I put a point on the curve in that area. You don't want too many points, as you can inadvertently create a flat spot on the curve, which can look terrible.

My worry with luminosity masks is of what I call tonal "constipation", which is basically what a flat spot on a curve does. It crushes tones together. Let's say you're trying to lighten midtones in some rocks. If you do a strong lightening, then any brighter parts of the rocks that weren't in the luminosity mask won't get lighter. But the midtones you worked on will. And the demarcation between the selected and unselected parts my cause some crushing of tones.

I can see luminosity masks working, though, with subtle adjustments, not anything too extreme.

Tony Kuyper's v5 panel on Luminosity Masks (and much more) is extraordinarily powerful and permits a fine degree of control and manipulation in short order (once you have gotten the hang of it). As always, with such 'power' comes responsibility. Tonal constipation is not an issue if you supply enough tonal fibre.